It’s time for the Kimber to complete the 2000 round challenge. The idea behind the 2000 round challenge is to take the gun out of the box, clean it, lubricate it properly, then fire 2000 rounds over the course of however long it takes. Most modern service pistols can complete 2000 rounds without failing even once.
The idea behind the 2000 round challenge was created by Todd Green (RIP) of Pistol-Training.Com. Todd’s idea was that 2,000 rounds is probably more than the average gun owner will fire over the course of owning a gun, so if a test gun can handle that workload in a couple of weeks or a month it’s good to go. The Kimber Pro Carry II 9mm didn’t do great, but it didn’t do awful either. It had a total of 5 failures to complete the cycle of operations over 2012 rounds, for a failure rate of 1:402.5. That’s well below the industry standard of 1:2000, but also not bad for a Commander-sized 9mm 1911.
Later this week we’ll have a final review of the Kimber Pro Carry II, but for now let’s focus on the shooting info from the 2000 round challenge. During the challenge, I found the Kimber to be easy to shoot, like most 1911s. Of the Commander-sized 9mm 1911s I’ve owned, it had the nicest sights for fast shooting, and the second best recoil impulse.
One important note: Kimber recommends firing 500 rounds of ammo through their guns before using them for carry or competition. While I don’t agree with the idea of break-in periods, it’s fair to note that 4/5 of the Kimber’s failures on the 2000 round challenge happened during the first 500 rounds. After the break-in period, there was exactly 1 failure in the next 1500+ rounds. That is important to note, and it’s also why in my final review of the pistol I have some kind words. Come back on Friday to catch the review!
